Apple iPhone Air: Price, specs and cheapest plans

The rumors are true: Apple is trading out the Plus-sized iPhone for a new slimmer model in 2025 and we've got all the details.

Regardless of whether you're after the more general gist or an in-depth breakdown of the specs, we've got you covered. From how it compares to the standard Apple iPhone 17 to when you can get your hands on the device and how much it will cost in Australia, here's everything you need to know about the Apple iPhone Air.

Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone are all offering the Apple iPhone Air on a plan.

No matter which telco you go with, you'll get to choose between a 24-month plan or a 36-month plan. A 36-month plan will always be cheaper, but it means you're paying your phone off over a longer period of time. A 24-month plan is more expensive, but you'll own your Apple iPhone Air quicker.

To compare for yourself, check out the widgets below for a snapshot of the cheapest 36-month and 24-month iPhone Air plans.

Here's a look at 36-month plans for the 256GB Apple iPhone Air.

Here's a look at 36-month plans for the 512GB Apple iPhone Air.

Here's a look at 36-month plans for the 1TB Apple iPhone Air.

If you'd prefer a shorter repayment term, here are 24-month plans for the 256GB Apple iPhone Air.

Here's a look at 24-month plans for the 512GB Apple iPhone Air.

Here's a look at 24-month plans for the 1TB Apple iPhone Air.

Apple might have introduced a more affordable option in the form of the iPhone 16e earlier this year but those expecting a price cut when it comes to the company's latest flagship lineup are probably going to be disappointed. As with Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge, going for the thinnest model on offer won't save you much when it comes to the asking price.

Here's a side-by-side breakdown of the iPhone 17 price range:

• A slimmer design: The latest addition to the Apple iPhone lineup comes with a thinner form-factor of just 5.6mm.
• A new processor: As usual, this year's iPhone Air comes armed with fresh shiny new silicon in the form of the A19 Pro processor, which is the same one found in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
• Faster wireless charging: The iPhone Air supports faster wireless charging of up to 25W as well as the usual MagSafe accessories.
• eSIM only: The iPhone Air is the first iPhone that is only available with eSIM.

Although the iPhone Air might have the edge on its siblings when it comes to slimness, it sits between the other models in terms of overall display size.

The new device features a 6.5-inch Super XDR Retina Display with a 120Hz refresh rate. That's larger than the screen found on the standard iPhone 17 but smaller than the one found on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. This screen also comes with Ceramic Shield 2, which is said to offer three times as much protection as its predecessor, plus a new anti-reflective coating.

The iPhone Air might feature a slimmer design on the outside, but the insides of the new device is much the same as its siblings. Apple's thinner take on the iPhone comes equipped with the new A19 Pro processor. That's the same silicon found in the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the new iPhone 17 Pro Max.

As usual, the handset in several different storage configurations. The cheapest of these comes with 256GB while the most expensive tops out at 1TB.

As for battery life and RAM, we'll have to wait until the iPhone Air is out in the wild. Apple typically doesn't disclose battery or memory specs whenever it announces a new product so we'll have to wait for a teardown to find out just how these aspects of the device compares against the competition. 

 If there's any area where Apple has made compromises to achieve a slimmer form-factor here, it's the back of the device. At a glance, the camera configuration found on the Apple iPhone Air is shaping up to be a step down from the rest of the range.

Where the other models feature multiple rear camera lenses on the back, the latest addition to the lineup is armed with a single 48MP wide angle lens. Then, on the front, there's a 18MP selfie camera. That's a significant downgrade on even the entry-level iPhone 17, which features a 48MP wide angle lens and a 12MP ultrawide lens.

Yes, the Apple iPhone Air comes with 5G connectivity on par with what you can find in the rest of the iPhone lineup. Of course, you'll need to be located in an area with 5G coverage in order to actually make use of this feature. To see where is 5G available in Australia, use the coverage map below.

All of Australia's big three mobile providers offer the Apple iPhone Air on a plan. 

Regardless of which provider you pick, you plan will be structured the same way so be sure to pick the one that best suits your individual needs. Optus, Telstra, and Vodafone offer a variety of perks and plan features, which we'll cover below.

Firstly though, you'll want to consider coverage. When it comes to size, the Telstra network has a well-earned reputation for offering the widest coverage in Australia. Optus sits in second place and Vodafone is a close third thanks to a new network sharing agreement with Optus. As a result, Vodafone customers in regional and rural areas now use the Optus network and benefit from expanded connectivity.

As usual, Optus is shaping up to a compelling choice for Aussies that want to avoid paying the premium that comes with Telstra but benefit from slightly more coverage than Vodafone can provide.

Optus' smallest plan has a big 50GB of data, which is well above the average national usage. There's also data sharing if you have multiple plans on the same account, which can be handy for families. 

It's also worth remembering that Optus mobile plans come with no data overage fees. If you go over your monthly data limit, you won't incur any unexpectedly high fees but you will have you speed capped at 1.5Mbps until the end of your current billing cycle. 

In addition, Optus' Apple iPhone Air plans include more than just a bigger data allowance. The more expensive options also come with unlimited international calls to select destinations. That's great to have if you're looking to keep in touch with friends and family overseas.

If you're planning to travel abroad yourself, Optus has good roaming add-ons too. You can score 5GB of data and unlimited local talk & text for $5 per day when roaming in select countries.

Last but not least, Optus customers also get access to SubHub. This platform lets you combine multiple subscription services (such as Netflix, Microsoft 365, and others) into a single bill, along with a 5% or 10% discount, depending on whether you sync two or three or more services.

Vodafone's Apple iPhone Air plans are just a little cheaper than Optus, but include fewer perks. All its plans also come with unlimited international texts to select countries, and the more-expensive plans have international call inclusions.

The cheapest iPhone Air plan offered by this provider comes with is 60GB (excluding promotions), which is much higher than the average national usage.

As with Optus, Vodafone's iPhone Air plans comes with zero excess data fees. In practice, that means that the provider slows your connection to 2Mbps once you go over your monthly allowance instead of cutting you off. This is slightly faster than the 1.5Mbps speed cap that Optus and Telstra employ. 

Like its rivals, Vodafone's plans don't include any data banking or rollover for unused data. That said, you can share data between multiple Vodafone mobile plans if they are attached to the same account. You'll also save between 5% and 20% off your total monthly bill, depending on how many services you bundle together. This discount doesn't include any hardware repayments but it's a neat bonus regardless.

For most Aussies, Vodafone's best feature is its international roaming. For just $5 per day, you can use your phone as you normally would while overseas. This kicks in automatically when our phone connects to an overseas network and lasts for 24 hours. It's one of the best roaming options on the market for both value and ease of use.

On the other hand,  Vodafone's biggest drawback is network coverage. Its 4G network is only slightly smaller than the other two networks (98.4% population coverage for Vodafone, compared to the 99.7% of Telstra and 98.5% of Optus), its 5G network is small enough that Vodafone is the only major network provider to hold back on publishing clear 5G coverage figures. 

Telstra's Apple iPhone Air plans are the most expensive of the big three, but that premium does come with superior coverage and plenty of perks. 

All Telstra's Apple iPhone Air plans come with 30 minutes of international calls to all destinations – not a lot of minutes, but without the usual limit on number of countries that are included. International calling packs are available for additional minutes.

In any case, Telstra's biggest selling point is still the size of its network. With a population coverage of 99.7% for 4G, Telstra sits ahead of Optus' 98.5% and Vodafone's 98.4%. When it comes to 5G, Telstra offers an even bigger lead. With 95% of the population covered with 5G, it's comfortably ahead of Optus' 80.5%. Meanwhile, Vodafone doesn't even publish clear 5G coverage stats, so there's no comparison to be made there.

Even in regional areas that fall outside the reach of the largest mobile network in Australia, Telstra customers can still stay connected via the provider's new Starlink-powered messaging service. If you live in rural Australia, this feature is nice to have. That said, it does come with a few caveats such as being limited to text-messaging, requiring a direct line-of-sight to the sky and only working within the Starlink's satellite coverage footprint.

Like Optus, the smallest plan available from this provider comes with 50GB of monthly data. This is far higher than the average Australian uses each month and while there are no overage charges for going past your data limit (instead you're slowed to 1.5Mbps), there's also no data banking or rollover to let hang onto your unused data.

Fortunately, as with the other big three providers, you can share data between up to 10 mobile services on the same eligible account.

Roaming is relatively easy to do, but not as affordable as Optus or Telstra in most circumstances. Traveling in New Zealand will cost you $5 per day, but most other countries are $10 per day. You'll get 2GB to use per day. 

Finally, you've got the Telstra Plus system. You earn points based on eligible plan payments. You can use these put towards purchases from the Telstra Plus Rewards store, such tech, gadgets, and gift cards. You can also get discounted movie tickets, pre-sale tickets for concerts, and more.